Hanger catch for tools and other objects



Nov 18, 1941. H T, CALDWELL 2,262,832

HANGER CATCH FOR TOOLS AND OTHER OBJECTS Filed Aug. 12, 1939 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Nov. 18, 1941 HANGER CATCH FOR TOOLS AND OTHER OBJECTS HaroldTinsley Caldwell, Claremont, Calif. Application August 12, 1939, SerialNo. 289,922

6 Claims.

My invention relates to a hanger catch for tools or other objects, andparticularly to a hanger catch capable of being secured to and made apermanent part of the tool and adapted to function as a means ofengagement with a vertical or inclined surface of an object in a mannerto support the tool thereon.

My invention is particularly adapted for use with carpenters saws andother tools and the tools of artisans engaged in construction or repairwork. Such tools are commonly leaned against the inclined or verticalsurface of a wall, sawhorse, or other object, in which case theyfrequently fall with possible injury to the tool and inconvenience tothe artisan. In some cases, such as, for instance, when artisans areworking upon a sloping roof, it is difficult and inconvenient to providemeans for supporting a tool laid down upon the roof. A tool providedwith a hanger catch made in accordance with my invention will beautomatically secured in supported relationship to a wall, sawhorse, orroof having a vertical or inclined surface. Tools provided with a hangercatch of my invention may be laid down and picked up frequently withoutattention upon the part of the artisan to the matter of support for thetool, and without danger of the tool falling fromor slipping upon'thesurface on which it is laid.

It is one object of my invention to provide a device to be mounted upona tool or other object which, when the tool is placed against a verticalor inclined surface, will automatically engage the surface and supportthe tool.

It is another object of my invention to provide such a device which willautomatically assume an inoperative and harmless position when the toolis removed from the supporting surface, and in which it will beprotected from damage and will not cause injury to the artisan or tosurrounding objects.

It is another object of my invention to accomplish the aforesaid objectsby a simple and inexpensive device which is unlikely to become broken orneed repairs or adjustment.

Other objects of the invention and advantages attendant upon its usewill appear from the following description of the invention, thedrawing, and the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a hanger catch embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figs. 1and 2; I

Fi 4 is a sectional view of the catch taken on the same plane as that ofFig. 3, showing the catch mounted in a saw handle and in a position ofengagement with an inclined piece of wood;

poses only and that the invention is capable ofuse on other tools andobjects.

A housing 2 in the general form of a cylindrical cup is formed with anintegral threaded shank H which engages an interiorly threaded screw I,

which is one of several similar screws such as are commonly provided onsaw handles to secure the saw blade in position.

The side of the saw handle opposite the screw l is formed with acylindrical recess 19 to receive the housing 2. turning in the recess H!by means of a laterally projecting rib l l which seats in acorrespondingly shaped slot in the wall of the cylindrical recess IQ ofthe handle.

An arm 4 is revolvably mounted upon a horizontal pin 5 which is securedto and between opposite sides of the wall 2| of the housing 2. The arm 4is thus adapted to oscillate over 'a limited range of angular movement.A needle I is seated in the body of the arm 4 and rigidly held inposition therein by a set screw 8 with a pointed end 22 of the needleprojecting from one end of the arm 4. The pointed end 22 of the needle'I fits within and is shrouded by a notch I4 formed in the side wall ofthe housing 2 and an aligned notch l5 in the saw handle 3 and is held inseated and shrouded position in those notches by a spring 6 held betweenthe bottom wall 23 of the inner chamber of the housing 2 and the undersurface 24 of the arm 4.

A safety catch I0 is mounted upon a vertical rivet 9 carried by thehousing in a manner to permit it to be swung into or out of engagementwith a notch l2 formed in the rear face of the 5 arm 4, or into a notchl6 also formed in the rear face of the arm 4 and near the upper edgethereof. The notches l2 and I6 are so disposed in the arm. 4 that whenthe notch I2 is engaged by the catch Hi, the needle I is held immovablyin its shrouded position in the notches l4 and I5, and when the notch 16is engaged by the catch ID, the needle 1 is held in its uppermostposition against the action of the spring 6 and projects outwardly in anunshrouded position from the body of the saw handle, as shown in Fig. 4.

The housing is prevented from It will be understood that while I havedescribed my hanger catch in connection with and as mounted on a sawhandle, the device readily lends itself to manufacture as a separatearticle of commerce to be sold for installation on saw handles or, withappropriate modifications as to the shape of the housing and means ofattachment, on other tools and other. objects.

When installed upon a saw handle orother tool, the device operates asfollows: I

The catch I is placed in a position in which it is out of engagementwith both notches I 2 and I6. The spring 6 holds the needle 1 in retracted position in the notches l4 and I5. When the workman wishesto'lay aside the saw temporarily, he presses it against the side of avertical or nearly vertical surface of an article of wood or othermaterial capable of being pierced by a needle point, or he lays it downwithout the manual application of pressure upon an inclined surface 25ofa similar article of wood 26 of a wall constructed of boards of woodor like material. In either case the outer portion of the arm 4 will becontacted by the surface of the object against which the saw is placed,compressing-the spring 6 and causing the point 22 of the needle I tomove outwardly into a position of angular relationship,

with the longitudinal lines of the saw. In this position the forceapplied to the needle by the manual pressure of the workmen or by theweight of the saw as the case may be will cause the needle point topierce and the needle'will enter the surface of wood or other likematerial and then support the saw against the action of gravity.

, When it is again desired to use the saw, itis lifted, disengaging thepoint of the needle 1 from the retaining object and permitting thespring 6 to retract the needle to its inoperative shrouded positionwithin the notches l4 and I5.

, If it is desired to hang the saw or other tool from a horizontalsurface, such as a desk, the workman may press upon the arm 4, movingthe needle 1 into its projecting unshrouded positionv to enable it toengage and rest upon the horizontal surface.

' Whenthe' saw is not being used for any extendedperiod of time, theneedle point may be secured in its retracted shrouded position-byplacing :thecatch in the notch l2, preventing accidental'exposure'of theneedle point to the possible harm ofpersons or objects.

When, on the other hand, for any reason it is desiredto lock the needlein operative unshrouded position, as, forinstance, to insure itsreadyengagement with a wooden object without the aid of the application ofpressure by the workman, or to enableit to engage and rest upon ahorizontal surface, the catchlfl may be swung into position in the notchl6, preventing the spring 6 from retracting the needle I.

Theonly part of the device of my invention which is subject to anyconsiderable wear is the needle I, which is'readily removable forreplace.- ment by a newneedle by simply loosening the set screw 8.

While inthe embodiment of my invention described herein and shown in thedrawing there is used a needle having a sharplpoint, it is apparent thata projection having a blunt outer end ma *be used with vertical orinclined surfaces:

which have horizontal ribs or other horizontally faced projectionscapable of supporting engagementwith a projection of such character.

' It is also obvious that while'in the embodiment with a vertical orinclined surface, exposing the catch for engagement with the supportingobject. My invention may be used in other modified forms adapted tovarious tools and objects and is not limited to the particularembodiment shown but is defined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: 7 1. In combination with a tool having a recessformed therein: a lever intermediately pivoted within said recess on anaxis substantially parallel to the surface of the tool adjacent saidrecess and oscillatable over a limited angle of movement; a catchprojection on one end of said lever adapted at one limit ofsaid movementto engage an external object in a manner to support said tool and at theother limit of said movement to be precluded from said engagement; a lugon the other end of said' lever disposed thereon to assume a positionfor pressural engagement with said object when said lever is in saidsecond position; and spring, means forurging said lever to its secondposition.

, '2. In combination with a tool: a tool supporting element movablymounted on the tool means on the tool for stopping the movement of saidelement at a first projecting position for tool supporting engagementwith an external object and at a second withdrawn position precluding ion the tool for stopping the movement of said element at a firstprojecting position for tool supporting, engagement with an externalobject' I and at a second withdrawn position precluding such engagement;resilient means for urging the element from its first to its secondposition; means operatively connected tothe element for moving theelement from its second to its first position, comprising a projectinglug disposed.- for'pressural engagement with said object and operable bysaid engagement to move inwardly toward said tool; means for positivelylocking the element in its second position against the action of saidmoving means; and means for,

positively locking the element'in its first position against the actionof said'resilient means.

' 4. In combination with a hand saw or other like tool: an elementmovably'mounted on the tool and movable between a first projectingposition in which it is capable of having contact with a surface of awall, fioor, roof or other like external object, said contact being of acharacter to hang the tool on said object and a second withdrawn andshrouded position in which it is precluded from having such'contact;andan inwardly yieldable projecting means carried by said tool operableby a pressural engagement with said surface of said object to moveinwardly toward said tool for moving said element from its secondposition to its first position.

5. In combination with a hand saw or other like tool: an element movablymounted on the tool; means on the tool for stopping the movement of saidelement at a first projecting position in which it is capable of havingcontact with a surface of a Wall, floor, roof or other like externalobject, said contact being of a character to hang the tool on saidobject and at a second withdrawn position precluding such contact;resilient means for urging the element from its first position to itssecond position; and means operatively connected to the element formoving the element from its second position to its first position,comprising a projecting lug disposed for pressural engagement with saidsurface of said object and operable by said engagement to move inwardlytoward said tool.

6. In combination with a hand saw or other like tool: an element mountedon and projecting from the tool in a position in which it is capable ofhaving contact with a surface of a wall, floor, roof or like externalobject, said contact being of a character to hang the tool on saidobject;

10 means on the tool for shrouding said projecting element to render itincapable of having such contact; and inwardly yieldable movable meanscarried by said tool comprising a projecting lug disposed for pressuralengagement with said surface of said object and operable by saidengagement to move inwardly toward said tool for relatively moving saidelement and said shrouding means to unshroud said element.

HAROLD TINSLEY CALDWELL.

